Dave Bolland

In their most important game of the season, the Florida Panthers found themselves without their most important player. Goalie Roberto Luongo had hoped to play both games vital to the Panthers' playoff hopes this weekend, but in Saturday's game at Montreal aggravated the shoulder injury that forced him to miss six games earlier this month. As he did when Luongo was initially hurt, Dan Ellis proved to be a sturdy stand-in Sunday in a 4-2 victory over the Senators at the Canadian Tire Center in a game Florida desperately needed to keep playoff hopes percolating. The Panthers kept pace in the wild-card race four points behind the Bruins, who won in overtime against Carolina, setting...

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In their most important game of the season, the Florida Panthers found themselves without their most important player.Goalie Roberto Luongo had hoped to play both games vital to the Panthers' playoff hopes this weekend, but in Saturday's game at...

If the Panthers' top two goalies weren't sidelined by injuries, the would be at full strength after a four-day break between games.
That's a huge "'if."
However, third-string goalie Dan Ellis has played his best two games since joining the...

Panthers at Senators
When/where: 7:30 p.m., Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa
TV: FSF; Radio: 560-AM.
Scouting report: The Panthers go for the Eastern Canada trifecta following wins at Toronto and Montreal. They moved within one point of the last...

The rubber rats were raining down again on the BB&T Center's ice following the Panthers' thrilling 4-3 shootout victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins before the Christmas break.
But the Panthers are far more excited that...

— The Panthers are starting to get the hang of this shootout deal.After stopping a record 15 shots in an epic 20-round shootout win two days earlier, a mere 21 saves in regulation, four in overtime and five more in a six-round shootout was a piece of cake...

--- Panthers center Dave Bolland will play his first game Monday night against the Blues since injuring his groin on Oct. 17 against the Sabres.
Bolland, 28, the Panthers highest-paid forward at $27 million over five years and their prized free-agent...

The Panthers, looking for roster flexibility, traded defenseman Colby Robak to the Anaheim Ducks for minor league defenseman Jesse Blacker on Thursday.Robak, 24, was projected to be one of the Panthers' core defenseman since they selected him in the...

— When Los Angeles Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi told Willie Mitchell that there was no salary-cap room to resign him a few days after he had hoisted his second Stanley Cup in three seasons, it rocked the veteran defenseman's world."It's...

On a night the fans acknowledged original Panthers president Bill Torrey when he was shown on the overhead scoreboard, it seemed fitting that the resurgent Islanders on the ice resembled the teams he built into a Stanley Cup dynasty in the 1980s.
...

— Very few coaches like to change a winning lineup, so despite having Sean Bergenheim available to play against the Islanders, don't expect see him on the ice Friday night at the BB&T Center.
Bergenheim, one of the team's top six forwards, returned...

The Panthers expect to get top-six forward Sean Bergenheim back in time for Friday's home game against the Islanders, and young forward Brandon Pirri isn't too far behind.
The Panthers held an off-ice conditioning practice Wednesday, so no one skated...

The Panthers are slowly getting their starting forwards back from injuries, as winger Sean Bergenheim is expected to play Friday against the Islanders, his former team.Bergenheim, who missed the entire lockout season of 2012-13 while recovering from...

Panthers coach Gerard Gallant has pleaded with his players to go to the net and camp out in the "blue paint,'' or crease area where goals generally occur.Gallant's pregame strategy that also included three line overhauls paid off. But he also...

Panthers slumping forward Tomas Fleischmann will return to the ice after a one-game benching and will play with the fourth line alongside center Derek MacKenzie and right wing Shawn Thornton."[I wasn't] happy with that but it got me thinking a little...

— Despite blowing a couple of two-goal leads in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Flames, it appeared the Panthers would have a golden opportunity to force overtime when Calgary defenseman T.J. Brodie hooked Jussi Jokinen with 1:28 left in...

— The offensively challenged Panthers are certainly not built for wide-open shootout affairs, and they proved that in Saturday's matinee against the surprising Calgary Flames.
Perhaps buoyed by a rare, four-goal outburst that had them blow two-goal leads...

After fighting the flu for the better part of a week, an hour of practice was a welcome elixir for Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau.
The Panthers hope his return will provide some medicine for their sagging offense Saturday against Calgary.
...

Panthers at Flyers
When/where: 7 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
TV: Fox-Sports-Florida; Radio: WQAM-560
Scouting Report: The Panthers are 2-0-4 on the road and other than the Penguins (3-0-1) are the only team in the NHL to not have a...